An attribute of modern flat-panel electronic displays that makes them highly desirable to consumers is the aesthetic appeal of a very flat device that has the appearance of a framed photo or painting when hung from a wall. This same attribute is also desirable in that floor and interior space taken up by the display is minimal.
With current flat panel display technology, however, best viewing quality is typically achieved when the screen is viewed at as near as possible to a ninety degree angle from the plane of the screen. Liquid crystal displays will often appear perceptibly darker at the more oblique angles. In other cases, particularly with plasma displays, glare from the screen surface may impair viewing. Consequently, it is desirable to have the ability to selectively position the display to enable best viewing quality.
Numerous wall mounting devices for flat panel displays have been developed so as to enable tilt and/or swing positioning of the display. Examples of such mounting devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,905,101, 7,028,961, and 7,152,836, all of which are owned by the owner of the present invention and are hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.
A drawback of these previous mount designs is that the edges of the display may sometimes collide with the wall surface during positioning. These collisions may leave unsightly marks or gouges in the wall surface, or may cause damage to the display itself. Hence, there is still a need for a flat panel display mount that enables selective positioning of the display while alleviating the undesirable effects of wall collisions.